Masahiro Tanaka, one of the pillars of the Yankees’ pitching rotation for the past seven seasons, will return to Japan to continue his career, he said on Thursday.
Tanaka set Japanese baseball on fire in 2013, when it went 24-0 with a deserved run average of 1.27 for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He plans to join the Golden Eagles in 2021.
That remarkable season of 2013 made Tanaka a hot commodity among the major league teams, and the wealthy Yankees closed it with a $ 155 million contract for seven years. As part of the deal, they also paid a $ 20 million postage fee to the former Tanaka team.
Initially hailed as the franchise’s new ace, he had six consecutive winning seasons with the Yankees before reaching 3-3 in the reduced 2020 season. Although he never lived up to his early billing, he did two All-Star teams and was the Yankees’ first day holder four times. He ended his career in New York with a record of 78-46 and 3.74 ERA
Tanaka had 5-4 with 3.33 ERA in the playoffs. His postseason performances were almost all excellent until 2020, when he gave up six races in four entries against Cleveland in an appearance on the wild card series and five races in four entries against Tampa Bay in a match in the division series, that the Yankees lost.
A right-handed man, he also joined the Japanese team in the World Baseball Classic, winning a gold medal in 2009 and a bronze in 2013.
“I am extremely happy to have the opportunity to step onto the field as a member of the New York Yankees and play for all passionate fans,” said Tanaka in a statement on Thursday.
Tanaka’s loss leaves the Yankees’ rotation with a series of doubts after Gerrit Cole, the team’s star.
The team switched to Jameson Taillon of the Pirates last weekend, but he is recovering from elbow surgery. Luis Severino has missed most of the past two seasons due to injuries and could miss part of it. Corey Kluber, twice winner of the Cy Young Award whose signing became official on Wednesday, lost almost the whole of 2020 due to a shoulder injury. Two unproven matches, Deivi Garcia and Jordan Montgomery, complete the projected rotation.
Kluber’s acquisitions, and especially Taillon’s, seemed to indicate that the Yankees were not focused on rehiring 32-year-old Tanaka. Although other teams in the major leagues were interested, Tanaka chose to return to Japan.
The Yankees, known for spending their ample capital to get the players they want in every off season, have been a little more frugal by their standards this year. Taillon, for example, is under contract for just $ 2.25 million this year – a fraction of what Tanaka would earn – and is under the team’s control for 2022 as well. And Adam Ottavino, a solid reliever, was negotiated with the Boston Red Sox this month in what resulted in a wage eviction.
This left little room for Tanaka, who reportedly was looking for an eight-figure salary. Even so, even with their departure, the Yankees’ payroll remains among the highest among the main.